Political Pets: Furry Friends Who Have Lived In The White House

Everyone is talking about who the next person to inhabit the White House will be, but who will be the next animal? Forget donkeys and elephants, we want to know about cats and dogs!

Dating back to George Washington, hundreds of pets have shared this famous address, and the presidential pets even have their own museum in Washington DC. We're taking a look at some of the four legged friends who have made it to the White House and who might be the next pet in power.

Currently Bo is the resident canine at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, and rules the house with his little sister Sunny. The president actually promised his two daughters a dog would be their reward for their patience through the campaigning process, and Bo came as a gift from Senator Kennedy.

You may know Hillary Clinton as the current Democratic nominee, but she's also the author of a children's book about her family's presidential pet, Socks the cat. The tuxedo cat was adopted by the Clinton's daughter Chelsea, and proudly prowled the historic home's hallways until the Clintons made the fateful decision to adopt Buddy, a labrador retriever. The two animals fought more fiercely than a gridlocked congress, and when the Clintons left office, Buddy went with them while Socks stayed with Clinton's secretary.

However, when presidential pets get in trouble, it's a lot more serious than a mess on the carpet, and a few first pets have landed presidents in hot water.

When FDR's Scottish Terrier Fala was left behind on the Aleutian Islands, he sent a ship back to fetch her, garnering criticism from the media. He struck back with a famous speech telling people they could criticize him and his family, but they had to leave the dog alone. Apparently so many of the American people were sympathetic to this dog-loving president, that it's believed the speech was part of what helped him get re-elected.

The notorious Richard Nixon also dragged his pup into hot water with him. While running for Vice President, it was discovered he was hiding secret funds. He held a press conference stating that this was untrue, but that he had indeed received one gift, his dog Checkers, and he didn't intend to give him back. Like FDR, it's believed this speech touched the heart of the animal-loving public and helped keep Nixon on the ticket.

So, who will be the next pet to occupy the nation's highest office? Well, it looks like whether it's Democrats or Republicans, we'll have a dog in the office.

Although the Clintons' dog Buddy was hit by a car shortly after they left office, they now have three dogs: Tally, a toy poodle; Seamus , a lab; and Maisie, a curly-haired mutt. As for Donald Trump, besides his hair (which should almost be considered a furry little pet), he has a yellow lab named Spinee.

Presidential elections may get ugly, but at least the first pets are always cute. Maybe the next president needs a Petcube so that we can all keep an eye on what they're up to?